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What are strokes and heart attacks and how do they differ from each other? Heart attack and stroke are the hallmarks

Heart attack and stroke are cardiovascular events that develop against the background of hypertension and advanced atherosclerosis. These pathologies are often confused, although clinically they are absolutely opposite conditions to each other.

In this article we will discuss what a heart attack and stroke are, what are the causes of myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as what medicines for the prevention of stroke and heart attack exist in our time.

A heart attack is the death of organ cells as a result of acutely developed ischemia. Ischemia is a disruption in the delivery of oxygen to tissues due to an acute disturbance of blood flow.

Accordingly, heart attacks occur not only in the myocardial tissue. They develop in the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and brain. With myocardial infarction, part of the heart loses its ability to contract, which leads to the development of heart failure.

The reasons for the development of ischemia:

  1. Rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque with the formation of a thrombus.
  2. Complete obstruction of the vessel with atherosclerotic plaque.
  3. Closing the lumen of the vessel with a thrombus that migrated from the systemic circulation.

Stroke is the death of a piece of brain tissue as a result of ischemia: ischemic stroke or hemorrhage - hemorrhagic stroke. According to the mechanism of development, ischemic stroke is a cerebral infarction and the causes of this disease are similar to those of myocardial infarction.

The causes of hemorrhagic stroke are somewhat different:

  1. Rupture of the cerebral aneurysm.
  2. Vascular rupture due to high arterial hypertension.
  3. Ruptures of pathological malformations (abnormal vascular formation).

With a hemorrhagic stroke, aseptic inflammation develops in the area of ​​hemorrhage and the brain tissue soaked in blood turns into a cyst or is replaced by connective tissue. Today it is generally accepted that there are controllable and uncontrollable risk factors.

The unmanageable (those that cannot be corrected) include:

  1. Age.

Relatively manageable:

  1. Climate and environmental conditions.
  2. Stress.

Controllable risk factors:

  1. Smoking.
  2. Drinking alcohol.
  3. Arterial hypertension.
  4. Physical inactivity.
  5. Overweight.
  6. Hyperglycemia.
  7. Violation of lipid metabolism.

Lifestyle modification significantly reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Eating a healthy diet, being physically active, and avoiding bad habits can help keep risks to a minimum.

Heart attack and stroke, what is the difference

Symptoms of a heart attack are associated with myocardial damage and the development of heart failure.

  1. An attack of chest pain, which radiates to the left arm, scapula, left side of the neck, lasts more than 20 minutes and / or is not stopped by taking 2 tablets of nitroglycerin.
  2. Feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath.
  3. Weakness, dizziness.
  4. Pale skin, cold sweat.
  5. Drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness.

In some cases, symptoms may change. It depends on the presence of concomitant pathology, age and general condition of the body.

Atypical forms of myocardial infarction can be:

  • abdominal form (pain is localized in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting appears);
  • painless (manifested mainly by weakness, shortness of breath, arrhythmias);
  • peripheral (mainly, the pain is localized in the fingers of the left hand, in the throat, it can imitate a toothache).

For diagnosis, the changes in the electrocardiogram are assessed and the presence of specific markers of myocardial damage in the blood is checked. The symptoms of a stroke and heart attack are different, although some of them may be similar.

In stroke, the symptoms are associated with damage to the brain tissue. A specially designed FAST test (Face Arm Speech Test, literally “Face-Hand-Speech-Test”) will help to recognize them.

  1. A person is asked to smile: if the brain is damaged, some half of the face will lag behind, the corner of the mouth drops, the smile bends.
  2. Ask to raise both hands in front of you. With a stroke, muscle strength in the limbs on the opposite side of the lesion decreases.
  3. You need to ask to say a simple phrase, it will be enough to give your last name, first name and patronymic. Confused, slow speech indicates brain damage.

Other symptoms are also possible:

  • loss of consciousness;
  • complete paralysis of the muscles of the limbs;
  • lack of sensitivity in certain areas of the body;
  • swallowing disorders;
  • respiratory dysfunction.

Heart attack and stroke can occur at the same time. In this case, the symptoms are superimposed on each other and diagnosis is difficult. The impaired speech does not give a person the opportunity to talk about what hurts, and the impaired movement prevents him from pointing out the place where it hurts. To diagnose a heart attack with a stroke, it is often necessary to rely on additional research methods.

Stroke and heart attack: differences

First aid for stroke and heart attack

Stroke and heart attack symptoms develop suddenly, rapidly, and can be taken by surprise at home, work, or on vacation. First aid for heart attack and stroke begins with calling an ambulance.

At home, with a heart attack, you must:

  • calm down;
  • provide access to fresh air;
  • give a comfortable position with the head end of the bed raised;
  • give 300 mg to chew. aspirin (“aspirin cardio”, “magnikor”).

If the patient loses consciousness, it is necessary to assess the presence of spontaneous breathing and pulse. If breathing and pulse on the carotid artery are not detected, start a complex of resuscitation measures, according to the algorithm, as in the video in this article:

With a stroke, everything is more complicated. Without knowing the mechanism of the development of the disease, you should not start any activities. Preparations for stroke and heart attack are different. It can be dangerous to use the same medicines at home.

A patient with stroke symptoms must be provided with complete rest, access to fresh air, lower high blood pressure, but no more than 10% of the initial level (tissue hypoperfusion can lead to a worsening of the condition).

Patients in a coma need to ensure airway patency. You can lay the patient on his side in a stable position, and if the tongue is retracted, perform the Safar technique, as in the photo:

If convulsions develop, you need to lay the patient on a flat surface and put a pillow under his head or roll up a blanket so that the patient is not injured.

Prevention of stroke and heart attack. Preparations, folk methods

A large niche in prevention is occupied by drugs intended for the correction of metabolic disorders of the body and other indicators of homeostasis.

  1. Antihypertensive drugs help lower high blood pressure and thus reduce the risk of vascular complications.
  2. Antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulants improve the rheological properties of blood and reduce the risk of thrombosis and thromboembolic complications.
  3. Drugs that lower glycemic levels. These are both pill formulations and injectable forms of short and long acting insulin.
  4. Statins. These are drugs that lower cholesterol and atherogenic lipoprotein levels in the blood. Their use prevents the development of atherosclerosis and reduces blood viscosity by lowering cholesterol levels.
  5. Antiarrhythmic drugs prevent blood clots from forming in the cavities of the heart during irregular heartbeats.

Tablets for the prevention of stroke and heart attack must be taken regularly, periodically monitoring changes in homeostasis indicators. Depending on changes in the data of the objective state and laboratory parameters, the doctor adjusts the dosage of drugs or selects more suitable drugs.

It is also possible to prevent strokes and heart attacks with folk remedies. This method does not replace full-fledged prophylaxis using pharmacology, but it can work successfully in combination. To do this, use tinctures from motherwort, oregano, mint, barberry roots.

It is worth noting that most of these plants are calming and stress-relieving. It is not recommended to use rosehip and chokeberry infusions - they increase blood viscosity and cause hypercoagulation.

There are also surgical methods of prevention. For this purpose, specially made filters are used. They are implanted into the lumen of the inferior vena cava so that blood clots coming from the veins of the lower extremities are retained in this filter and do not enter the arterial vessels with the blood flow.

A comprehensive approach to disease prevention improves the quality and duration of life in many patients at risk of developing vascular events.

Which is worse - a heart attack or a stroke?

Both pathologies occupy leading positions among cardiovascular diseases and are the most common causes of death among the population of older age groups. It is difficult to say unequivocally that a stroke or a heart attack is more dangerous. It is worth noting that brain damage can lead to more serious consequences than necrosis of the heart muscle.

According to various sources, after a stroke, only 20% of patients return to normal life, another 25% become disabled. Almost 20% die within the first month, another 25 - during the first year.

Mortality from myocardial infarction is about 35-40% of all cases of the disease. Patients who have had a heart attack are at risk: mortality in this category is 3.5 times higher than in people without a history of heart attacks. If a patient is diagnosed with a heart attack and a stroke at the same time, the chances of survival are reduced several times.

Output

It is important to know how to distinguish a heart attack from a stroke at an early stage. The cost of the question may be a person's life. Knowing what are the signs of stroke and heart attack and by seeking help from the clinic in time, you can significantly improve the prognosis for recovery.

And remember - preventing disease is easier than curing, which is why it is very important to know how to avoid stroke and heart attack.

Vascular and heart diseases are currently the most common among other pathologies. One of the most common such violations are considered and. Their danger lies in the fact that they are often fatal.

Diseases have ceased to be "elderly" in nature. This is due to the fact that they also affect people of middle and young age. People often confuse the concepts of heart attack and stroke, despite the fact that the diseases have some similarities, they differ from each other according to some criteria.

Why is there confusion?

Confusion in concepts occurs due to a large number of similar signs of diseases.

The similarity of the diseases is manifested in the fact that they most often affect older people who have a history of fractures, operations, as well as migratory blood clots, which at one point can lead to blockage of the canal.

Diseases are often confused due to the fact that they have similar symptoms, and even the place of localization. Also, one concept is much broader than the other. This explains their similarity.

After all, it is called a stroke. As a result of the disease, the nutrition of brain cells in certain areas is disrupted. If a heart attack occurs in other body systems, it will not be considered a stroke.

The main difference between diseases

Diseases differ, first of all, in the nature of the localization of the lesion. As a result of a heart attack, various organs are affected. person. The disease can occur in the heart, liver, brain, intestines.

When a stroke occurs, the area of ​​distribution narrows to brain cells. Therefore, when the work of the human nervous system is disrupted.

Also, the main difference is the etiology of the disease. With a heart attack, the entire organ or part of it is affected due to thrombus formation in the vessel. During a stroke, a vessel ruptures, leading to hemorrhage, a violation of the circulatory system.

However, the differences in diseases do not end there. Heart attack and stroke differ in symptoms, diagnostic methods, and appropriate treatment.

Additional differences

With the development of diseases in the body, various changes occur. It is by them that you can determine which disease has struck the human body:

Diseases also differ in symptomatology, characteristic manifestations at the initial stage of occurrence:

  1. Stroke pain localization most often occurs in the head area. For a heart attack, pain syndrome is characteristic in the area of ​​the affected organ and heart.
  2. When a stroke occurs, unsteadiness of gait appears. A heart attack is not characterized by such manifestations.
  3. With a heart attack, a person weakens sharply. In the event of a stroke, consciousness is instantly upset.
  4. The activity of a person with a heart attack increases due to unbearable pain in the affected organ. With a stroke, it becomes difficult for a person to move due to numbness in the limbs or one of the sides of the body.

Similarity of diseases

In addition to obvious differences in symptomatology, diseases are characterized by signs that are similar at the first stage of the lesion. The concepts are often confused due to the fact that stroke and heart attack are characterized by:

  • the appearance of pallor of the skin;
  • strong pain;
  • possible loss of consciousness;
  • a sharp increase in blood pressure;
  • impaired respiratory function, leading to suffocation;
  • shortness of breath;
  • heaviness and pressure in the chest area.

Also, both diseases are often characterized by common causes. These include:

  • diseases in which vasoconstriction occurs (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, obesity);
  • bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol);
  • unhealthy diet (junk food, excessive intake of cholesterol);
  • lack of physical activity;
  • lack of diagnostics to detect the disease at an early stage;
  • systematic increase in blood pressure.

It is important to note that when the first signs of illness appear, you must urgently call an ambulance. It is dangerous to carry out treatment on your own, as therapy should only be determined after a diagnosis has been made. In the event of an unstable condition, the patient is allowed to lay on the bed, provide oxygen access and leave at rest.

However, despite the obvious differences in treatment, with a heart attack and stroke, the use of drugs of a general therapeutic orientation is indicated. These include medicines for:

  • prevention and treatment of complications of a somatic nature;
  • ensuring airway patency;
  • increasing the activity of cardiac activity;
  • elimination of bacterial damage when the body temperature rises.

What is more dangerous: heart attack or stroke?

There is no unequivocal answer to this question, since both a heart attack and a stroke can lead to the appearance. At the same time, despite the fact that a heart attack often leads to death, a fatal outcome can also occur as a result of a stroke.

Among the complications of a heart attack are:

  • heart rhythm disturbances, the appearance of arrhythmias(tachycardia, bradycardia, atrial fibrillation);
  • insufficient functioning of the heart- a decrease in the abilities of the organ, affecting the formation of a stagnant state of blood vessels, pulmonary edema, cardiac asthma;
  • cardiogenic shock- the appearance of severe pain, a critical drop in blood pressure, a slowdown in cardiac activity;
  • ruptured heart muscle- violation of the integrity of the tissues of the muscles of the heart during death and wear, leading to death in 10% of patients.

With a stroke, the dysfunction of one of the parts of the brain or its death becomes frequent. Therefore, it is often the very area of ​​vital activity for which this department was responsible is violated. Complications include:

Stroke and heart attack have a large number of similar and different symptoms. However, the main thing that unites them is the increased threat to health and further human life.

In some cases, the onset of a lethal outcome is noted. Therefore, it is important to note the appearance of the first signs of illness and immediately call an ambulance.

Among people who are new to medicine, confusion arises when differentiating diseases such as heart attack and stroke. This is due to the fact that they have some similarities. Stroke and heart attack are different pathologies, between which there is a noticeable difference. But let's also talk about the similarities. This will help you differentiate and respond appropriately in the event of seizures in humans.

Correctly distinguishing a heart attack from a stroke is important for first aid.

Why are heart attacks and strokes confused?

Before we figure out how a heart attack differs from a stroke and how you can distinguish between these two pathologies, let's talk about the reasons for such confusing opinions about them. The confusion is due to the fact that both diseases are characterized by similar symptoms. The main similarities are as follows:

  • diseases mainly affect older people;
  • most of the patients had fractures in their medical records;
  • they had migrating blood clots, which at some point blocked the canals.

It is difficult to distinguish pathologies without experience, because the symptoms are similar. They usually lead to similar consequences and have close localization.

Stroke is considered a broader concept than heart attack. But if the affected person has a heart attack involving the brain, a stroke is written in the diagnosis. Such a disease is caused by a violation of the cellular nutrition of the brain in some of its parts. And when they use systems, the concept of a stroke is no longer used. It is impossible to say objectively which of them is more dangerous and more terrible.


Major differences

Localization serves as the basis for differentiating pathologies. A heart attack can affect different human organs:

  • brain;
  • intestines;
  • liver.

A stroke only affects our brain cells, disrupting the functioning of the central nervous system.

Another important difference lies in the etiology of the two diseases:

  • with a heart attack, the entire affected organ or only its parts suffers due to the formation of a blood clot in the vessels;
  • with a stroke, a rupture of blood vessels is observed, due to which an outpouring of blood occurs, the normal process of blood circulation is disrupted.

In addition, we note a few more nuances that help clarify the difference between a stroke and a heart attack. These diseases in the absence of medical education can be distinguished by, they have different methods of diagnosis and treatment.


Additional distinctive features

It will be useful for any person to learn to distinguish between two pathologies. You never know what awaits you in life. Sometimes it can save someone from dying. When pathological processes begin to occur in the body, corresponding changes are observed depending on the pathology. They make it possible to understand what kind of disease a person has encountered.

  1. The manifestation of a cerebral infarction, which is dangerous to health and life, entails disturbances in the nutritional process of the affected organ, the tissues of which gradually die off. This also applies to other organs. In acute strokes manifested, blood does not actively enter the brain, which ultimately provokes tissue damage. You can understand the difference between death and damage. Here it is very clear what is worse and more dangerous.
  2. A heart attack provokes nutritional disorders of the affected organ, and a stroke only the integrity of the tissues, which is provoked by the outpouring of blood and their inadequate nutrition.
  3. Stroke is referred to as neurological pathology, and heart attack is referred to as cardiovascular disease.
  4. There are more reasons for a stroke. Clogging of blood vessels most often leads to a heart attack.
  5. The therapy for the two diseases is different. With a stroke, the main emphasis is on lowering the level of blood viscosity, active protection of blood vessels and restoration of normal blood circulation. In the case of a heart attack, attention is focused on the use of thrombolytics, anticoagulants and nitrates.
  6. The main consequence of a stroke is disability, and with a heart attack, the likelihood of death is very high.

The difference is significant, although it is not always possible to find it at. This is due to the suddenness and unpreparedness of an ordinary person for such situations.

Manifestations of primary symptoms

Here it is important to find out how a stroke differs from a heart attack, and how to distinguish pathologies when they appear at the initial stages. It can save the victim from death and wheelchair. Or at least minimize the damage to health.

  1. During a stroke, painful sensations spread to the head area. In the case of the second disease, pain is observed in the area of ​​the affected organ and in the area of ​​the heart muscle.
  2. If a person has a stroke, their gait becomes unsteady, and severe dizziness appears. In a heart attack, these symptoms are not observed.
  3. A heart attack causes a sharp weakening of the whole body, and with an attack of a stroke, consciousness is instantly impaired.
  4. Due to a heart attack, a person becomes more mobile and active, which is due to severe pain at the site of the lesion. But an ischemic stroke provokes a decrease in activity, a heavier movement, since the body completely or partially begins to go numb.

These are characteristic differences that make it possible to differentiate the manifestations of two pathologies. Knowing how they differ from each other, you can take competent measures. But diseases have both differences and similarities.

Common features

Because of them, people are not always able to tell exactly what is happening to the patient. The first signs of the two diseases are similar in the following:

  • the skin becomes pale;
  • seizures are accompanied by severe pain;
  • blood pressure rises sharply;
  • the person has shortness of breath;
  • some people lose consciousness;
  • sensations of heaviness and constriction appear in the chest area.

In addition to the general symptoms of seizures, pathologies have the same causes. These include:

  • abuse of bad habits (alcohol and tobacco products);
  • the consequences of taking narcotic drugs;
  • diseases that cause narrowing of blood vessels;
  • harmful and unbalanced diet;
  • minimal or no physical activity;
  • factors that systematically affect the increase in pressure;
  • ignoring recommendations for preventive diagnostics.


If you have to deal with the manifestations of attacks of these two diseases, you should immediately seek qualified help. Some begin to give first aid with their own hands, doing heart massage or artificial respiration. But such an intervention can be harmful if you do not know the exact diagnosis. Therefore, at the first symptoms of a patient, try to put him on a bed or other soft surface, give maximum access to oxygen (disperse onlookers, open all windows and doors) and leave him alone until the arrival of doctors.

Yes, in cerebral stroke and heart attack, the differences are significant, if you look in detail at the features of the two pathologies. But at the same time, during treatment, doctors in both cases use drugs with a general therapeutic effect.

These are drugs that are aimed at:

  • prevention and recovery from complications of a somatic nature;
  • creating optimal patency for blocked airways;
  • an increase in the activity of the cardiovascular system in a person;
  • the fight against bacterial lesions, if the pathology is accompanied by an increase in body temperature.

More dangerous pathology

There is a lot of controversy as to which of the two diseases is worse. It is difficult to give an exact answer, since both pathologies have the potential to cause serious and fatal complications. But statistics speaks more against a heart attack, since there are more deaths after such attacks when compared with stroke attacks.

A heart attack in a person can lead to:

  • disorders of a healthy heart rhythm and arrhythmias;
  • deficiency in the functioning of the heart;
  • cardiogenic shock;
  • rupture of the heart muscle.

Stroke often provokes disturbances in the work of areas of the damaged brain or their death. Therefore, the consequences are manifested in the form of dysfunction of those areas of human life, for the work of which the affected parts of the human brain were responsible.


This pathology leads to:

  1. Paresis and paralysis. They are characterized by partial or complete cessation of muscular tissue motor activity in the victim. A person loses the ability to swallow, speak, walk, write, and perform the usual actions for normal motor skills.
  2. Coma. This is a state when a person loses creation for a long time and does not respond to various external stimuli. It can be touch, sunlight, etc.
  3. Dementia. Means the loss or partial intellectual impairment of the victim.
  4. Pneumonia. It becomes the result of a long stay in the supine position and the onset of inflammatory processes that have affected the lungs of the victim.
  5. Pain syndromes. Unpleasant sensations appear on the affected side of the body, in the arms and legs. The limbs may be numb, tingling, or numb.
  6. Loss of memory. A person partially or completely forgets about himself, the people around him, does not remember what happened to him, etc.

Both pathologies have similarities and common features. What unites them is that diseases pose a huge threat to human health and life. The likelihood of death is high, although modern medicine avoids fatal consequences with timely assistance and well-chosen subsequent therapy.

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According to statistics, cerebral infarction and stroke are the most common of the most dangerous types of critical conditions. Focusing on their common and distinctive features, one can suspect one of the problems in time and provide the victim with adequate assistance. Despite the fact that the signs of heart attack and stroke are largely similar, the development and course of pathological processes is accompanied by a number of specific points. First of all, you need to understand the definitions of these diseases and their characteristics. This will allow us to understand why there are diagnoses such as cerebral, heart, and kidney infarction, and a stroke can happen only with the first of them.

Similarity of diseases

A heart attack is a pathological condition that develops as a result of circulatory disorders. It leads to oxygen starvation of tissues and the appearance of foci of necrosis. The phenomenon can affect the main organ of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver and other components of the human body. Most often, speaking about a heart attack, they mean damage to the myocardium - the heart muscle.

In the case of the localization of the process in the brain, a special emergency condition develops - ischemic stroke. Against the background of such an overlap of terms, confusion often arises with the interpretation of concepts. It is important to understand that a stroke is a form of heart attack when it comes to the ischemic form of stroke.

Similar moments of cerebral infarction caused by cerebral artery thrombosis and heart damage:

  • development mechanism - blockage or stenosis of blood vessels provoke a failure in the process of blood access to tissues. As a result of oxygen starvation, massive cell death begins, and necrosis develops. The functionality of a part of the organ decreases, which affects the operation of the entire system;
  • initial symptoms - the first signs of the development of a heart attack and stroke may be different, but most often they are represented by shortness of breath, an increase in blood pressure, pallor of the skin, and suffocation. There is a high probability of loss of consciousness, numbness of the limbs;
  • reasons - the likelihood of developing both conditions increases when a person has hypertension, atherosclerosis, obesity, chronic diseases of internal organs. The presence of bad habits, physical inactivity, violation of dietary rules, physical overload and stress increase the risks;
  • prevention - the exclusion of all of the above provoking factors from the regime and lifestyle has a beneficial effect on the state of blood vessels. Against this background, heart attacks and strokes are extremely rare;
  • features of the rehabilitation period - the death of cell colonies in both pathological processes leads to tissue necrosis in certain areas. With the timely start of treatment and rehabilitation, healthy adjacent areas will partially take over the functions of the affected areas. This will increase the functionality of the organ or restore it completely.

To a certain extent, even therapy for heart attack and stroke has similar features.

What is the difference between a heart attack and a stroke

The main difference between heart attack and stroke is that the first term has a broader meaning. It combines at once a whole list of pathologies of internal organs that are capable of proceeding according to the same pattern. This list also includes ischemic stroke.

Stroke is called only the pathological process that occurs in the brain.

In this case, the cause of the development of an unfavorable picture may be not only a spasm or blockage of the vessel, but also its rupture with subsequent bleeding. Stroke and myocardial infarction, as they develop, provoke the appearance of characteristic symptoms, which makes it possible to suspect a diagnosis.

You will learn more about the first symptoms of brain damage.


A new remedy for the rehabilitation and prevention of stroke, which has surprisingly high efficiency - the Monastery collection. The monastic fee really helps to fight the consequences of a stroke. Among other things, tea keeps blood pressure in the normal range.

Signs of disease

Stroke and heart attack (if it does not affect the brain) occur in different organs. This leads to differences in the manifestations of emergency conditions. Similar signs are observed only at the very start of the disease. As it develops, the symptoms become more specific.

The clinical picture of myocardial infarction:

  • acute pain in the region of the heart, which can radiate to the left arm and shoulder blade, spread throughout the body;
  • decreased sensitivity in the left arm or armpit;
  • dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness;
  • blueness of the lips, fingers, earlobes;
  • loss of appetite against the background of severe weakness;
  • protrusion of cold sweat in combination with tachycardia and arrhythmia;
  • swelling of the limbs may appear, and a painful cough often begins for no apparent reason.

A cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke) is accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • intense headache;
  • decreased sensitivity in one half of the body;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • problems with coordination, change in gait, dizziness, difficulty with orientation in space and time;
  • there may be a decrease in visual acuity, even temporary blindness in one or both eyes;
  • memory impairment, problems with speech, its understanding.

Depending on the cause of a heart attack or stroke, the clinical picture may be bright or blurred. The latter scenario is the most unfavorable due to the difficulty of making a diagnosis. Timely medical care for these conditions is the key to a favorable prognosis.

Consequences of diseases

Organic lesions of the brain and other internal organs rarely do without permanent negative consequences. Even with the transition of functions from tissues affected by necrosis to neighboring areas, the functionality of the system decreases. Patients with ACVA most often suffer from paresis and paralysis, deterioration of brain activity, some have to re-learn such basic skills as speech, writing, and counting.

Patients with a heart attack note a deterioration in the work of the heart (or the affected organ), which manifests itself in the form of arrhythmia, palpitations, and a temporary increase in the intensity of contractions. In some cases, the restoration of all functions is impossible, and the victim of an emergency condition remains disabled for the rest of his life.

You can find out about the consequences and complications after stroke.

Additional differences

A significant difference between the two conditions is observed in their diagnosis. With the patient or his loved ones, they must have a conversation, which allows you to identify risk factors and possible triggers of the disease, hereditary predisposition. A person with suspected cerebral infarction is shown to undergo CT or MRI of the head, EEG. They take blood from him for indicators of glucose and cholesterol, check its clotting. Neurological status assessment is mandatory. Myocardial infarction is confirmed by ECG, cardiac ultrasound, biochemical and general blood tests.

What's more dangerous, heart attack or stroke

It is impossible to say unequivocally which of the two conditions is more terrible and more dangerous. Under certain
under circumstances, both ailments can lead to death or disability of the victim. According to statistics, extensive myocardial infarction often leads to the development of serious negative consequences, their list is larger, and it is more difficult to cope with them.

Theoretically, myocardial infarction has one "advantage" over stroke. If the heart is severely worn out as a result of tissue scarring, it can be transplanted. It will not work with the brain, the patient will have to cope with the forces of one organ all his life.

The worst thing is if myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke develop at the same time. The chances of these patients of survival are minimal. If they manage to survive the acute period, they either soon die from a second attack, or remain severely disabled for life.

Disease statistics

The risks associated with the pathology, as well as the patient's chances of a full recovery, depend on a number of factors. The age, sex of a person, his physical condition, the degree of damage to the tissues of the heart, brain or other organ are taken into account. Every year the disease becomes "younger". Even the rapid development of neurology and cardiology does not lead to an improvement in statistical indicators. In the case of these emergency conditions, everything depends 90% on the person himself.

Myocardial infarction statistics:

  • more often men over the age of 50 suffer;
  • in women, the mortality rate is 2 times higher than in men;
  • in the acute form, the victims only in 50% of cases survive until they are admitted to the hospital;
  • if all people who died in a year are taken as 100%, then 13% of them die from a heart attack - this is the highest mortality rate for all pathologies;
  • half of the patients develop some form of disability;
  • 25% of patients do not observe alarming symptoms at all or they are practically indistinguishable.

Ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction) statistics:

  • if all people who died in a year are taken as 100%, then 10% of people die from ACVA of this type - according to this indicator, the disease is in 3rd place;
  • the older the patient, the higher the likelihood of death or disability;
  • women die from cerebral infarction 10% more often than men;
  • with a second stroke, the risk of death increases by 2-3 times, and after the third attack, only a few survive;
  • in 15% of patients, before the development of the condition, a microstroke was diagnosed and proper prevention could prevent the disease.

Modern diagnostic methods make it possible to timely identify a predisposition to the described diseases. Systematic visits to a therapist or specialized specialists, monitoring blood pressure, checking blood counts at least 1-2 times a year reduce potential risks. Only a responsible attitude of each individual to their health will improve the alarming statistics.

You will learn more about statistics and chances of survival.

Myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke are different in localization and type of pathology consequences, but they have many similar moments. Thanks to simple prevention, you can prevent the start of dangerous mechanisms in both cases, increasing your life expectancy and improving its quality.

Drawing conclusions

Strokes are the cause of almost 70% of all deaths in the world. Seven out of ten people die due to blockages in the arteries in the brain. And the very first and main sign of vascular blockage is a headache!

Blockage of blood vessels results in a disease under the well-known name "hypertension", here are just some of its symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Heart palpitations
  • Blackheads in front of the eyes (flies)
  • Apathy, irritability, drowsiness
  • Blurry vision
  • Sweating
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Swelling of the face
  • Numbness and chills in the fingers
  • Pressure surges
Attention! If you notice at least 2 symptoms in yourself - this is a serious reason to think!

The only remedy that gave a significant result ...

Recently, the number of patients with diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems has been increasing at a high rate. Basically, these diseases affect men aged 40 to 80 years. Troubles and stress at work, scandals in the family, lack of money, lack of support and understanding, alcohol consumption and many other reasons are risk factors for the development of such ailments. One of the most dangerous and widespread diseases in the world is stroke and heart attack. You can often meet people who feel sick right on the street, in transport or in another public place. And in such emergencies, not everyone understands how a stroke differs from a heart attack, what to do in order not to harm the patient.

Each disease has its own definition, by which you can understand what is the difference between a heart attack and a stroke:

  1. Stroke (cerebral infarction) is a disease of the nervous system that is characterized by impaired blood circulation in the brain. It is divided into ischemic stroke, which is caused by an acutely arising, sharply expressed deficiency of blood supply in the basin of a certain cerebral vessel with the formation of a focus in it according to the type of cerebral infarction, and hemorrhagic stroke is a consequence of acute hemorrhage in the substance and ventricles of the brain or in the intrathecal spaces.
  2. A heart attack is a cessation of blood flow, cessation of blood supply due to blockage or spasm of arteries, as well as the occurrence of a focus of necrosis and tissue necrosis. An attack can develop in any organ: in the lungs, myocardium, spleen, kidney, brain. Most often, an infarction condition is observed in the myocardium, brain and lung.
  • Myocardial infarction is a heart disease, which is caused by an acute insufficiency of its blood supply with the appearance of a necrosis focus in the heart muscle.
  • Lung infarction is a disease that occurs as a result of embolism or thrombosis of the branches of the pulmonary artery.

Causes of diseases

Each disease has its own cause, no disease can arise just like that. The reason may be latent, undefined, unidentified, but it certainly exists. What is the difference between heart attack and stroke, you can see in the reasons for their occurrence:

1. The etiology of a heart attack. The occurrence of this condition is caused by a fairly large number of reasons. It all depends on the damage and disease of the organ with which the heart attack happened. Factors in the development of pathology can be considered using the example of myocardial infarction, which is most often found in practice:

  • Coronary artery disease (CHD).
  • High cholesterol.
  • Smoking.
  • Obesity.
  • Diabetes.
  • Drinking alcoholic beverages.
  • Age after 40 years.
  • Hereditary predisposition.

2. The etiology of stroke. The reasons for its occurrence are somewhat similar to heart attacks, but there are some differences:

  • Blood clot in the cerebral arteries.
  • Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the brain.
  • Increased blood pressure.
  • Smoking.
  • Diabetes.
  • Heart rhythm disorders.
  • Overweight.

Difference between stroke symptoms and heart attack

To help a person who became ill on the street, you need to at least familiarize yourself with the clinical picture, symptoms and manifestations of these diseases. This will make it easier to clarify whether the victim has a heart attack or stroke. Then any passer-by, not bewildered, will be able to provide first aid to the patient before the ambulance arrives.

1. Symptoms of a heart attack using the example of myocardial disease: severe, intense, burning, constricting pain behind the sternum, which spreads to the neck, lower jaw and left arm; pallor, nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, shortness of breath, and fainting. The pain is accompanied by the fear of death, the patient is very worried.

2. Stroke clinic. Symptoms of the ischemic type differ from the hemorrhagic:

  • Symptoms of ischemic stroke: temporary or persistent decrease in vision, hemiparesis (weakening of one half of the muscles of the body) and hemiplegia (complete loss of the ability to move on one side of the body), paresis (weakening) of the muscles of the face, tongue and sensory disorders, speech impairment.
  • Symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke: the patient suddenly loses consciousness, coma may develop. The victim's face becomes red, breathing is noisy, hoarse. In the opposite side of the lesion, hemiplegia develops, muscle tone decreases. If you raise the patient's hand and carefully lower it, then it falls like a whip. With the acute development of an attack, headache and vomiting appear. Further, meningeal symptoms progress and a coma with impaired swallowing, breathing and heart rhythm may develop.

Difference in the examination of patients

In order to establish an accurate diagnosis without errors and delay, it is necessary to carefully examine the patient. When researching, there are also some differences that you should pay attention to:

1. Inspection of stroke. To accurately determine the diagnosis, a number of examinations are carried out:

  • CT scan.
  • MRI of the head.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid examination.
  • Chest X-ray.
  • Ultrasound of the arteries of the head.

2. Inspection of a heart attack. The gold standard for detecting infarction, especially myocardial infarction, is electrocardiographic examination

Complications, distinguishing features

The most dangerous and undesirable consequences of any disease are complications. With a heart attack and stroke, they are more dangerous and can be fatal. What is more dangerous - a heart attack or a stroke, how they are terrible, what are their differences, what is worse, can be determined by the complications that arise after the disease.

1. Complications of a heart attack. Some patients, before reaching the hospital, die in an ambulance from the following complications of a heart attack:

  • Left ventricular failure.
  • Cardiogenic shock.
  • Pericarditis.
  • Dressler's Syndrome.
  • Aneurysm in the left ventricle.
  • Rupture of the interventricular septum.

2. Complications of a stroke. With a stroke, the following complications occur:

  • Pressure ulcers.
  • Paralysis.
  • Pneumonia.
  • Coma.
  • Vascular thrombosis.

Distinctive features of treatment

In the treatment of heart attack and stroke, immediate tactics are required: determine the disease, establish a diagnosis and begin appropriate therapy. All patients with the diseases we are considering are urgently delivered to the hospital. In accordance with the established diagnosis, first of all, they are provided with medical assistance:

1. Treatment for stroke. All patients are treated in a hospital to prevent a poor prognosis, and this is a must. It will help quick rehabilitation and significant improvement in the patient's condition. The following treatment is prescribed in the hospital:

  • Maintaining breathing with oxygen.
  • Use of beta blockers, cardiac glycosides, diuretics.
  • Infusion therapy.
  • Care of the patient, his oral cavity and skin.
  • Rehabilitation gymnastics and massage.

2. Tactics of treatment for infarction. Urgent measures for myocardial infarction are aimed at saving the patient's life:

  • Immediate hospitalization.
  • The introduction of narcotic analgesics.
  • Appointment of thrombolytics, "Aspirin" and beta-blockers.
  • "Nitroglycerin", potassium preparations, magnesium sulfate and diuretics.
  • Patient education.
  • Strict bed rest for 24 - 48 hours, then a gradual return to physical activity after 7 - 12 days.
  • To give up smoking.
  • The requirement to normalize weight.

Heart attack and stroke have similar symptoms and are also different from each other. Any person, even if he is not a doctor, should have an idea of ​​these diseases and know in detail how a heart attack differs from a stroke and how to provide assistance at the first sign of illness before an ambulance arrives.